Video-centric Use and Lens Discussion for Sony A7R/A7S/A7 mark II/III

triveNge · Mar 30, 2018

This will be a thread for all the new video focused individuals switching or upgrading to a sony a7 series camera, especially the new sony a7 III camera for video use. I thought it would be nice to have a general discussion thread that could be used to talk about video stuff and especially lenses for video use.

Discuss lenses or questions about video for any sony a7 and even the sony a9 systems if need be.

To start the discussion, some noteable lens options to consider:

sony 28mm f2

sony 16-35mm f4 oss

sony 16-35mm f2.8 gm

sony 12-24mm f4 g

sony 24-105mm f4 oss

sony 24-70 f2.8 gm

some solid zooms above with a good note on a cheap prime aka the 28mm.

stepping motors tend to be more ideal in the video community, more specific to those who use AF and do vlogging type stuff more than manual. there are clear manual benefits but thats something that needs to be played with.

primes can include sigma primes big but expensive, batis 25mm (loxia series are amazing for manual photo and video), 28mm f2 (heavy distortion easy correction in post, some vignetting and some mention c abberation, but the price to performance is noteable), 35mm has a few options but there are mixed inputs here, if price is a concern, dont be afraid to consider the cheaper 35mm options. 50mm cheap option isnt ideal for sony video but the more expensive option tends to be better. the 55mm is great for photo and video, some focus breathing complaints in video but not noisy and ive seen some intensely good b-roll from this lens. 85mm will be fine for b-roll types and the cheaper 85mm is sharp and solid for a consideration if cost is a problem. past 85, depends on your usage and video preferences, i doubt many will dabble too far past this range.

there are cine lens options to consider but that can be a topic of convo as well.

So ask away about anything video wise. Let's welcome the switchers when most people in here are photography-centric, a video-centric thread would be nice.

alextardif · Mar 31, 2018

This is a far too broad of a topic to cover in a single thread such as this... That said, here are some things I'd recommend to consider for anyone getting into video with A7xx bodies:

Shooting in S35 mode gives you a wider selection of native and adapted glass and also mitigates many of the issues of FF lenses in FF mode such as vignetting, distortion, corner softness
The following AF lenses have far superior MF implementation to just about all other native lenses due to advanced ring drive motors (makes MF predictable, repeatable, and accurate as the focus throw is not dependent on your turn velocity, and the focus rings are really well dampened):
- Sony Zeiss 50mm F1.4
- Sony GM 85mm F1.4
- Sony G 90mm F2.8 Macro
Loxias are just about ideal with their long focus throw, small size, consistent 52mm front filter size and overall diameter, declickable aperture ring. Only drawbacks are lack of AF, severe focus breathing, and size/placement of aperture ring which is nearly impossible to use in the middle of the shoot without introducing vibrations
- Zeiss made optional focus rings for Loxias to be used with follow focus systems - I leave mine permanently on mine even when I don't use follow focus as I prefer the wider diameter and much grippier teeth on those rings.

daucn · Mar 31, 2018

Having used the a6300 a lot for video and now moving to the A7iii, this thread is very useful. I spent many days searching for information about the best lenses to use for video and found a lot of conflicting information. I originally was very interested in the Loxia's until I realized how useful the autofocus would actually be for video. But once I decided on using both manual and autofocus, it was a challenge to find information on which lenses would perform the best. I've come across both positive and negative comments about many lenses, including the Batis and Sony 90mm 2.8 G (some say loud focusing), and it's been a confusing search. These two posts so far already have answered many of my questions!

btw I've already purchased a used Batis 85mm, Zony 55m 1.8, and new Sony 28mm 2. So far all three work really well on the a6300, looking forward to using them with the a7iii.

Stonedhouse · Mar 31, 2018

I'll keep an eye on this thread.

For my first "proper" camera I picked up an A7SII to cover video and stills of mainly Live music in dark environments and also in a home recording studio. Just using the kit 28-70 for now which has been surprisingly good but eyeing up my next lens to take the next step shortly. I see every type (G-Master Zooms, Primes and Cine) giving me options but once we have our current project finished I'll have a better idea of my preferences and needs whilst this thread should be an interesting read in parallel.

triveNge · Apr 9, 2018

alextardif said:
This is a far too broad of a topic to cover in a single thread such as this... That said, here are some things I'd recommend to consider for anyone getting into video with A7xx bodies:

Shooting in S35 mode gives you a wider selection of native and adapted glass and also mitigates many of the issues of FF lenses in FF mode such as vignetting, distortion, corner softness

The following AF lenses have far superior MF implementation to just about all other native lenses due to advanced ring drive motors (makes MF predictable, repeatable, and accurate as the focus throw is not dependent on your turn velocity, and the focus rings are really well dampened):

Sony Zeiss 50mm F1.4

Sony GM 85mm F1.4

Sony G 90mm F2.8 Macro

Loxias are just about ideal with their long focus throw, small size, consistent 52mm front filter size and overall diameter, declickable aperture ring. Only drawbacks are lack of AF, severe focus breathing, and size/placement of aperture ring which is nearly impossible to use in the middle of the shoot without introducing vibrations

Zeiss made optional focus rings for Loxias to be used with follow focus systems - I leave mine permanently on mine even when I don't use follow focus as I prefer the wider diameter and much grippier teeth on those rings.

Stonedhouse · Apr 16, 2018

triveNge said:
Stonedhouse said:

I'll keep an eye on this thread.

For my first "proper" camera I picked up an A7SII to cover video and stills of mainly Live music in dark environments and also in a home recording studio. Just using the kit 28-70 for now which has been surprisingly good but eyeing up my next lens to take the next step shortly. I see every type (G-Master Zooms, Primes and Cine) giving me options but once we have our current project finished I'll have a better idea of my preferences and needs whilst this thread should be an interesting read in parallel.

Click to expand...

are you AF-centric? then a 16-35mm might do wonders. but that 16-35mm gm is expensive. your faster primes might be better suited for those much darker environments but it depends. cine is manual. i would learn to use manual and AF. both are useful in the video realm. manual will be much more useful for knowledge sake over time. Not many people use much past 50+ for video but that doesnt mean that they dont. your cine lenses will produce much better bokeh likely, but much more expensive.

I need practice for MF but am not put off it and like to think I'll use it more and more. I'm aiming to also use a gimbal as well so there may be practical issues with MF but hopefully once we start on our imminent project I should learn a lot - its just an in house promo thing so will have plenty of time for trial and error. I do like that 16-35 2.8 GM lens, reckon I could have some fun with that, but will see how the kit lens fares shortly.

Arizona Sunset · Apr 16, 2018

triveNge said:
To start the discussion, some noteable lens options to consider:

sony 28mm f2

sony 16-35mm f4 oss

sony 16-35mm f2.8 gm

sony 12-24mm f4 g

sony 24-105mm f4 oss

sony 24-70 f2.8 gm

What about:

Sony E 18-105 F4 G
Sony FE 28-135 F4 G

Both are parafocal and have above grade stabilization, quiet focus motors, and all internal optical zoom for stabilizer use.

While designed for video use, they are not high end "cine" lenses by most counts.

triveNge · Apr 16, 2018

Arizona Sunset said:
Arizona Sunset said:

To start the discussion, some noteable lens options to consider:

sony 28mm f2

sony 16-35mm f4 oss

sony 16-35mm f2.8 gm

sony 12-24mm f4 g

sony 24-105mm f4 oss

sony 24-70 f2.8 gm

Click to expand...

What about:

Sony E 18-105 F4 G

Sony FE 28-135 F4 G

Both are parafocal and have above grade stabilization, quiet focus motors, and all internal optical zoom for stabilizer use.

While designed for video use, they are not high end "cine" lenses by most counts.

I have not looked into nor have any experience as the a7III is my first real camera as is, so i am limited in what i tested at stores and own etc. Can't deny anyone who has further input and likely could have tried them, can't knock it until i try it

i dont think the focus was strictly on cine lenses or cine lens quality per se. I merely wanted to start a discussion where people who do focus on video a bit, could have interesting conversations about equipment tested and so forth.

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Video-centric Use and Lens Discussion for Sony A7R/A7S/A7 mark II/III

triveNge

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alextardif

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daucn

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Stonedhouse

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triveNge

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Stonedhouse

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Arizona Sunset

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triveNge

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